Drink-driver was on mercy mission in Ukraine at time of court case

Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard on Friday, May 27, Harley Whitehead was delivering ambulances to the war-torn country when he should have been in court on a drink drive charge.

Whitehead, 32, of Jib Hill Cottages, Burnley, was convicted in his absence of driving with excess alcohol in June 2021.

He blew more than double the drink-drive limit - 74 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of blood, the legal limit is 35mcg - when stopped on June 19 last year.

He was banned from driving for 20 months, fined £180 and ordered to pay £600 costs and £34 victim surcharge.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said police saw Whitehead driving a Corsa at 2.45am on Bolton Road, Blackburn.

They saw him go through two red lights before stopping him.

When he got out of the car he told police he had not been the driver.

“When he appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea he put forward a different reason,” said Mr Robinson. “He claimed duress of circumstances.”

Mr Robinson said when the defendant failed to attend for his trial the magistrates were told he was on a mercy mission to the Ukraine.

“The magistrates took the view he knew the date set for the trial and should have been there,” said Mr Robinson.

Richard Prew, in mitigation, said it had not been a case of his client deliberately ignoring the court proceedings.

“He was e-mailing me from the Ukraine where he was delivering ambulances,” said Mr Prew.

“That mission has been widely reported in the Lancashire Telegraph and he is due to appear on Channel 4 next week.

"He says there have been threats to his life from Russian sources.”

He said on the night of the incident Whitehead had not intended to drive. He went to a takeaway where he encountered certain people who had a grudge against him.

“He fled from there and got in his car to get away,” said Mr Prew.

He said Whitehead was studying at Salford University to be a quantity surveyor and occasionally did some photographic work for a London agency.